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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — goods
  3. dip — to sink
  4. land — ground
  5. kick — in football
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. land — a country
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pop — music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pop — soda
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com